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Curry Puffs {Food Blogger Cookbook Swap}

Last year I had so much fun participating in the Food Blogger Prop Swap that when Faith and Alyssa announced that they'd be hosting it again, but with a different twist, I signed up immediately. The twist? Instead of props, this time around we'd be exchanging cookbooks. One of my minor obsessions.

If you know me, you know that I have a riduculous amount of cookbooks. They line the bookscases in many-a-room of my house. They take up real estate via large plastic tubs in my basement. They're stacked on end tables, and maybe even my kitchen table. I read them like novels and can pretty much always find something useful in every one. Some are tattered and loved, others are basically uncracked.

My first step? Trying to pair up one of those books with Haley from Cheap Recipe Blog. I really wanted to send her a book that fit her style, a book that she could get some use from. How did I do? You can find out here!
My second step? To eagerly patiently await the arrival of my cookbook. That's seriously one of the best parts of something like this. I love opening that package and seeing which book somebody thought I would enjoy.

So, what the first thing I do when I get a new (to me) cookbook? I grab a fat pad of sticky notes and set to work pouring over the pages. I wound up with quite a few tabs sticking out here and there. How did I go about deciding what to make from the book today? Well, Tara actually had a bunch of recipe titles highlighted throughout the book. So, I'm guessing that she does what I do, only armed with her highlighter instead of her sticky notes. I thought it would be fun to go back through and see if any of our chosen recipes matched up. And guess what? We did have a few of the same that caught our eye!

I decided on these Curry Puffs. Basically, little parcels stuffed with curry-spiced chicken breast, potatoes, and caramelized onions - and then deep-fried. Street food at its finest! These are smaller than an empanada and even a samosa, so they're perfect for appetizers. Or you could just pile them on a plate, concoct a dipping sauce, share them with someone, and call them lunch.

Guess what I did? Yeah...lunch.

Curry Puffs

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 30-40 minutes (+ 30 minutes un

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Keywords: fry appetizer snack chicken potatoes Indian

Ingredients (4 dozen puffs)

for the filling:

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 cups cooked chicken, diced small

2 medium potatoes, cooked & diced small

1-1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

for the pastry:

4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

just over 3/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

for frying:

vegetable or peanut oil

Instructions

make the filling:

Heat the oil (5 tablespoons seems like a lot, but it's necessary once the chicken and potatoes are added in) over medium and fry the onion gently until they are lightly caramelized, ~10 minutes. Add curry powder, paprika, and turmeric and stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add chicken, potatoes, sugar, and about 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Set aside to cool.

make the pastry:

Combine flour, butter, water, and salt in a large bowl and mix with a hand-mixer until crumbs form. Use your hands to knead everything together until you have a smooth dough. If it seems dry, dribble in a little bit of water and knead until pliable. Wrap in plastic and let sit for 30 minutes.

finish the puffs:

Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (this makes for less re-rolling which makes the dough tougher). Wrap the pieces you're not using, and roll one piece out until it is about 1/8th-inch thick. Use a large round cutter (3-4 inches) to cut out rounds. Place a scant tablespoon of filling in the center of each round. Dip your finger in a little water and run it around the outer edge of the dough. Fold pastry over to make a half circle and crimp the edges to hold the filling inside. Set on a tray lined with parchment paper. Repeat until you've used all the dough.

Heat about 2-inches of oil to 350° F. Fry in batches until deeply golden, 2-3 minutes, taking care not to crowd the pan. Transfer to a paper towel-lined tray. Serve warm, with a dipping sauce, if you like.

The Food Blogger Cookbook Swap is a unique way for bloggers to meet and connect by choosing a new or like-new cookbook from their own collection, and sending it to somebody else. Each person sends and receives a cookbook, but you don't know who sent you yours until you receive it. So much fun! Thanks so much to Alyssa and Faith for putting this together, and to Tara for sending me a new one for my collection, The Food of Asia!

Michiana-based food writer with a fondness for garlic, freshly baked bread, stinky cheese, dark beer, and Mexican food—who believes that immersing herself in different cultures one bite at a time is the best path to enlightenment.

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